Colorado University Athletics
Series Classic: Hagan, Defense Buffalo Texas
October 09, 2009 | Football, B.G. Brooks
(Note: The following story from the CU-Texas game on Sept. 4, 1989 was written by former Rocky Mountain News staff writer B.G. Brooks, now the Contributing Editor for CUBuffs.com.)
|
CU-Texas Series Classics |
BOULDER - The University of Colorado zoomed into its 100th year of football last night behind one of the most exciting option quarterbacks the Buffs have shown in, oh, about a century.
Sophomore Darian Hagan ran and passed 14th-ranked CU to a 27-6 victory over the University of Texas before 47,269 in Folsom Field and a national television audience watching on ESPN.
"Our young quarterback did a heckuva job in his first start. His big-play ability helped so much," CU coach Bill McCartney said in an opening-night understatement that might not be matched in 1989.
In his prime-time debut as the CU's starter, Hagan exceeded almost all expectations - including his own.
"I just expected us to go out and play hard and win," he said, "But no, I didn't expect to do what I did."
Before retiring to the Buffs sidelines with 10:40 remaining and the Buffs cruising with a 21-point advantage, the 5-foot-ten, 185-pound Hagan ran 14 times for 116 yards and a touchdown.
He asserted himself early, setting up CU's first touchdown - a 1-yard dive by Eric Bieniemy - with a 75-yard run on his first carry.
It enabled CU to take a 7-0 lead with the game only 1:15 old. The Buffs never trailed, leading 17-6 at halftime and then relying on a defense that was as nasty as 11 strands of barbed wire to shut out the Longhorns in the last two quarters.
Hagan also completed 7 of 12 passes for 95 yards and a score, including 4-for-4 during an 80-yard first period drive that staked CU to a 14-0 lead. The touchdown came on a 5-yard Hagan-to-George Hemingway pass.
Think McCartney was effusive in praising his young QB? Listen to UT's David Mcwilliams: "Their quarterback did a good job. He played well all night. We had a lot of trouble tacking him."
But as brilliant as Hagan was, CU's first-night triumph wasn't his alone. CU's defense allowed only a pair of Wayne Clements field goals (22, 29 yards) while constantly hounding UT quarterback Mike Murdock and blanketing fleet wide receiver Tony Jones.
Murdock was sacked five times. He completed only nine of 28 passes. Jones, who averaged 20 yards per reception last year, had one catch last night for 24 yards.
"You get pressure from the front five like we had," said CU cornerback David Gibbs, "and you can sit back there and play zone all night long. We weren't really tested."
While Clements was giving UT its only points of the night, CU placekicker Ken Culbertson matched him kick for kick. Culbertson, a lanky senior from Boulder High School, kicked field goals of 36 and 29 yards.
The longer of his kicks came on the final play of the first half and gave CU its 11-point halftime lead.
Culbertson's 29-yarder put CU ahead 20-6 with 39 seconds left in the third quarter, and Hagan sealed the triumph and the scoring with a 4-yard run with 12:20 to play.
The importance of Hagan's performance was magnified by the Longhorns' rough treatment of the Buff's tailbacks. Starter Eric Bieniemy and backup J.J. Flannigan combined for 117 yards on 27 carries. It was obvious UT was keyed to stop Bieniemy (66 yards) and Flannigan (51).
"The running backs didn't do the things that we wanted to do," said Bieniemy, "but Hagan was in control. He reminded me of the great quarterbacks - Jamelle Holieway, Charles Thompson (both of Oklahoma) and Steve Taylor (Nebraska). He just had a great game."
He and the Buffs must try to have another real soon. They meet archrival Colorado State Saturday at Folsom Field at 1:30.
While McCartney said he couldn't overstate the importance of the Buffs' opening win, he reserved judgment on just how good his eighth CU team might be.
"It would be premature to say how good we are," he said. "But we were good enough tonight."
(B.G. Brooks is a former Rocky Mountain News reporter who now is Contributing Editor for CUBuffs.com)
